There was a time when Rae woke up every single day and cried. In the shower. In the car. Before work. After work. Sometimes for no clear reason at all.

And then one day… she didn’t.

In this deeply honest, brave, and beautiful episode, Rae shares what it was like to get married in her 20s, spend nearly a decade inside a life that slowly stopped fitting, and ultimately make the hardest decision of her life: to leave. We talk about the grief of divorce, the shame society puts on women who choose themselves, and the quiet fear of starting over when you’ve spent so long being someone’s wife.

But this isn’t a story about failure. It’s a story about becoming.

We talk about strength you don’t know you have until you’re forced to find it. About reclaiming your body, your voice, and your identity. About dating again, rediscovering desire, and learning who you are when you’re no longer shrinking to survive. We talk about the moment you realize the pain isn’t permanent. That the crying doesn’t last forever.

Rae’s story is a reminder that divorce is not the end of a life. For many women, it’s the beginning of one.

This episode is a swan song. A love letter to anyone who has grieved a marriage, questioned their worth, or wondered if choosing themselves was a mistake. It wasn’t. And Rae is living proof.

Listener note: We had some unexpected technical challenges during this recording. I did my absolute best in post-production, but you may notice a few moments where the music or sound effects feel a little wonky. Thank you for your patience — this conversation mattered too much not to share.